Information systems such as Hospital Information Systems (HIS) or Radiology Information Systems (RIS) provide information management for medical data for patients admitted to hospitals or receiving outpatient care. Patient information can be in multitude of forms serving functions such as patient records, billing and medical diagnostic films. Diagnostic films are generated by several modalities such as Computer Tomography, Ultra Sound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Digital Radiographic or Computer Radiographic using a many different devices that generate images with a wide variety of mediums using different exposure, processing and development techniques. Accordingly, diagnostic images are generated with a wide variety of image densities, color qualities and media properties that are best observed under lighting conditions that reflect such characteristics and properties.
Many types of diagnostic images are formed digitally and printed onto diagnostic film with the digital data typically retained, allowing reprinting of the diagnostic film at a later time, thus reducing dependence on a single piece of diagnostic film that could be misplaced or inadvertently destroyed. However, other types of patient related records and diagnostic images are routinely recorded only on hardcopy diagnostic films and paper files held in folders. Such folders continue to serve as the ultimate repository of medical information for each patient. It is vital for effective patient care that such films contain not only the correct diagnostic films and records needed to diagnose and treat a patient's condition but also that the diagnostic films and records are positively identified so that there is minimal chance of confusion due to mismatched diagnostic films. It is also valuable to ensure that such diagnostic films be correlated with other data about the patient. Finally, it is also important that patient privacy be properly maintained, with checks on authorization and security that help to ensure the privacy of patient records and help to obtain the proper medical care, without jeopardizing quality and timeliness. These needs are not met by the current folder based system. Thus, there remains a recognized need for more efficient ways of maintaining and managing hardcopy diagnostic films and for associating these diagnostic films to the complete set of patient data.
An important tool in observing diagnostic films is the conventional illumination device also called a light box. This device has a display platform that projects a generally uniform light pattern in a manner that passes through diagnostic films in order to facilitate observation of these diagnostic films. Diagnostic images, printed on film, show the appropriate detail with the sufficient backlight illumination. However, the conventional illumination device provides only one kind of light for viewing such diagnostic films. The light does not adapt to the characteristics of the diagnostic film being viewed using the illumination device.
Further, there can be a need to view both diagnostic films in concert with digital images of and or textual data patient data. Solutions have been proposed for a hybrid illumination device for conventional diagnostic films and for digital images and or textual data patient data. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,031,516 entitled “Integrated Film and Film less Image Display System” to Leiper discloses a viewing workstation that allows a medical professional to access and view an X-ray image from a roll of images. Then, from a bar code on the X-ray, a link is provided to electronically stored images for the same patient. These images are then displayed on a display monitor.
Related solutions include U.S. Pat. No. 5,790,216 entitled “Viewing Apparatus and Work Station” to Inbar et al., which also discloses a backlight apparatus having an auxiliary display for electronic data. U.S. Pat. No. 6,157,373 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Displaying Images” to Rego discloses sensing a bar code or other indicia on a film image for obtaining an electronic image, including use of a touch-sensitive display surface for displayed films.
While the solutions of Leiper '516, Inbar et al. '216, and Rego '373 disclosures provide the capability for viewing both film and electronic data and images, there is substantial room for improvement with respect to image management, access security and log maintenance, and user interaction. For example, For example, there are numerous additional opportunities for improvement of diagnosis and treatment using a digital light box as part of a larger medical imaging system.
The Leiper '516 and Rego '373 disclosures describe sensing a bar code for obtaining the electronic image data that corresponds to an image on film. The bar code thus provides a read-only “pointer” to the larger database. A number of other types of memory devices can be coupled to a specific piece of image-bearing film. Examples of suitable memory devices include other optically encoded devices and magnetic strips or similar magnetically encoded media.
Radio frequency identification devices offer yet another type of solution for associating a memory storage device with a unit of an imaging medium. Radio frequency identification tags have been proposed for use in a wide range of identification and tracking applications, such as with passports and credit cards, as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,222 to Moskowitz et al. One type of commercially available, low profile radio frequency identification tags is the “TAG-IT INLAY”™ RFID tag available from Texas Instruments, Incorporated, located in Dallas, Tex., USA. This component can be used to provide identifying information about an item to which it is attached, for example. radio frequency identification devices are useful for tracking the location of, characteristics of and usage of documents, books, packages, and other inventory. For example, radio frequency identification tags can be used to track the location of documents and track the chain of custody of such documents within a document management system. Radio frequency identification tags offer the advantage of small size, enabling these devices to be unobtrusively attached or embedded within an item. Unlike optical or mechanical equivalents, radio frequency identification tags allow communication regardless of orientation relative to a transceiver. When equipped with an on-board read-write memory, these devices can be used for recording and recall of at least some amount of data related to an item to which they are coupled.
Systems employing radio frequency identification tags typically comprise a read/write element, or radio frequency transceiver, that acts as the interface between the radio frequency identification tags and a computer system of some type that uses and/or provides the stored data. The radio frequency identification tags itself is typically embodied as a transponder, having an integral antenna, adapted to send and receive electromagnetic fields in cooperation with the transceiver, where the electromagnetic field itself contains information to be conveyed to and from a memory on the radio frequency identification tags. Both read/write and read-only versions of radio frequency identification tags are available. Information that is stored in memory on the radio frequency identification tags can be used to track, identify, and process an item. The radio frequency identification tags memory can also store other information that is to be associated with the item, such as timestamps and identification codes for example. Among possible uses for radio frequency identification tags are identification, tracking, and management of diagnostic films such as X-ray films. However, some type of data processing and display platform is needed in order to associate a diagnostic film with the full body of medical information available for a patient and to provide secure access to that data.
Thus, it can be seen that there is a need for an illumination device that enables viewing of diagnostic films with access to related electronic diagnostic images and available patient data to an attending diagnostician having the proper authorizations.